Maj. Gen Richard Clarke prepares to pass reins of 82nd Airborne

Sunday

On Tuesday, the 82nd Airborne Division is set to welcome a new leader in a ceremony befitting one of the Army's most storied units.

But there's one man anxiously waiting for that transition, and hoping his phone will ring before it is underway.

Maj. Gen. Richard D. Clarke, the commanding general of the 82nd Airborne Division, knows only one thing can afford him more time in a position he has cherished the last two years.

"If something happens between now and Tuesday, I know we'll delay the change of command," he said, joking about his impending departure from Fort Bragg's All Americans.

The 82nd Airborne Division forms the core of the nation's Global Response Force, tasked with being able to deploy anywhere in the world on short notice.

For Clarke, such a mission would be the only thing that could keep him in command, and give him one last airborne operation.

"I am not pushing to extend it, but if world contingencies require - we will absolutely delay change of command," he said with a smile.

Clarke's last jump, his 10th as commander of the division, came in July as part of a no-notice deployment exercise to Fort Polk, Louisiana.

One would think that during that jump, Clarke would have looked back on his time with the division.

But one would be wrong.

"Not at all," Clarke said in his office last week.

Like a good paratrooper, Clarke said he didn't let outside thoughts enter his mind as he drifted to the drop zone. Instead, he focused on a good landing.

"That's more important," he said. "Just like we want every paratrooper to not be focused on anything except for the task at hand."

Landing coming

If his tenure as commanding general of the 82nd Airborne Division was an airborne operation, Oct. 2, 2014, would have been the day Clarke stepped from the aircraft.

His "landing" comes Tuesday at Pike Field, when he hands off responsibilities for the division to Maj. Gen. Erik Kurilla.

In between, Clarke said there are several events that will stand out for him.

The first is the success of the division's deployment to head the Combined Joint Forces Land Component Command - Iraq, the command responsible for training, equipping and advising Iraqi security forces in the fight against the Islamic State, also known as Daesh.

In Iraq, Clarke said the paratroopers played an important role in the beginning stages of the new Iraq conflict and the defeat of the Islamic State. They helped turn around a conflict that, at first glance, appeared to be heading toward an Iraqi defeat.

"We went in with an expectation that we had to roll back Daesh's successes," Clarke said. "That was our goal moving in there and building the trust and the relationship with the Iraqis."

Another moment that stands out was the dedication of the new Combat Training Memorial outside the 82nd Airborne Division War Memorial Museum. The memorial was unveiled during this year's All American Week, and Clarke said it would be a highlight of his time at Fort Bragg.

"I still look back on that as a very proud moment here in the 82nd," he said.

The memorial, which honors more than 230 soldiers who died in training for war, ensures the sacrifices of paratroopers are not forgotten, he said. It also creates a physical connection to the division for the families of those who died.

Special unit

During Clarke's tenure, the airborne hasn't been without its critics. But as head of the Army's lone airborne division, Clarke believes the future of the paratrooper is on firm ground.

He said paratroopers are special for their skills and fearlessness.

"We will always need airborne forces," he said. "The ability to go to contested territory that is outside the range of helicopters - to put a massive amount of force in a contested area - will always be a requirement for U.S. Army forces."

"To even consider that we won't need that I think is foolish," Clarke added.

Simply put, no other capability can move troops in the numbers or as quickly as paratroopers descending from a C-17.

And until something is invented that can fill that gap, the airborne is safe.

"I don't see anything on the horizon," Clarke said. "You still require boots on the ground to overcome a contested enemy."

Familiar ground

As Clarke prepared for his exit, Kurilla was preparing last week for his first jump back with the 82nd.

The incoming commander was most recently the deputy director for special operations and counter terrorism for the Joint Staff in Washington. But he's no stranger to Fort Bragg, having served in the 82nd Airborne and at Joint Special Operations Command.

It also will be familiar territory following Clarke.

The change of command will be mark the third time Kurilla has replaced Clarke.

The first came in 2009, when Clarke relinquished command of another storied Army unit, the 75th Ranger Regiment, to Kurilla. He also followed Clarke as assistant commander for support for Joint Special Operations Command.

"I'm happy he's following behind me. Because he's the right guy with the right vision and the right experiences to take this division to new heights," Clarke said. "There's no one in our Army that I would rather turn over the reins to than Erik Kurilla."

Both have a difficult job ahead of them, he said.

Kurilla must digest mountains of information as he jumps aboard one of the busiest training schedules in all the U.S. military. Few units are as active as the 82nd Airborne, with recent training in Europe, Mexico and across the U.S. as but a small example of the preparation that goes into maintaining the Global Response Force while also preparing for regular deployments.

But from an emotional standpoint, Clarke said there is no contest.

"It's harder giving the reins up," he said.

In his next job, Clarke will serve as vice director of strategic plans and policy for the Joint Staff at the Pentagon. He's excited for the opportunity, he said, but also sad to say goodbye to friends at Fort Bragg and within the division.

Clarke said he was enjoying his final days wearing the familiar "AA" of the All Americans on his left shoulder.

"I am relishing every minute and enjoying every single moment I have left in the 82nd Airborne Division," he said.

But after running down Ardennes Street for physical training for one of the last times, Clarke said he also recognized that a part of him would not be leaving the 82nd Airborne.

"The 82nd patch will always be on my right shoulder," he said, referring to his combat patch, denoting past service overseas.

At the same time, Clarke said he's humbled by the thought that his photo will always adorn a wall in the 82nd Airborne headquarters.

As a soon-to-be past commander, Clarke will join many of his heroes in the history of the 82nd Airborne Division.

Men like Gen. Hugh Shelton, Lt. Gen. John Vines, Gen. David Rodriguez, Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti and Gen. Dan McNeil. Each had a lasting impact on Clarke's career, he said.

And then there are legends such as Gen. Omar Bradley, Gen. Matthew Ridgway and Lt. Gen. James Gavin.

"It's scary," Clarke said of the thought of being held up next to those generals. "I'm humbled."

"It's hard to even put yourself in that category," he added. "I just love being with paratroopers who love to jump out of airplanes."

Military editor Drew Brooks can be reached at brooksd@fayobserver.com or 486-3567.

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